STEM Education 
         Consultation Report 2017 
        
        
                        
                 
                TABLE OF CONTENTS 
                 
                Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 
                   The Consultation Process ............................................................................................................................. 3 
                School Consultations ........................................................................................................................................ 4 
                   Format of School Focus Groups ................................................................................................................... 4 
                   Emerging Themes ........................................................................................................................................ 5 
                Stakeholder Consultation ................................................................................................................................. 8 
                   Format of Stakeholder Consultation ............................................................................................................ 9 
                   Feedback on STEM Report Themes ........................................................................................................... 10 
                STEM Education Online Consultation ............................................................................................................ 12 
                   STEM Education Online Response ............................................................................................................. 12 
                   Emerging Themes ...................................................................................................................................... 12 
                Key Observations from the Consultation ....................................................................................................... 19 
                Appendix 1: Towards a STEM Education Policy Statement for Schools ......................................................... 21 
                   Background ................................................................................................................................................ 21 
                   Consultation on Implementation ............................................................................................................... 21 
                   The Consultation Process ........................................................................................................................... 24 
                Appendix 2: STEM Education Stakeholder Consultation ................................................................................ 25 
                 
                 
                                                                                                                                          
                                                                   Figure 1: Parent Focus Group                                         
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             INTRODUCTION 
             In the development of a STEM Education Policy Statement (Policy Statement) and Implementation Plan, a 
             series  of  STEM  education  consultations  were  undertaken  between  May  and  July  2017.  These  were 
             conducted to gather the views and opinions of key stakeholders to inform the Policy Statement.  The 
             development of the Policy Statement was initiated as a result of the STEM Education in the Irish School 
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             System Report  (the STEM report) published by the STEM Education Review Group.  The STEM report stated 
             that the Department of Education and Skills (the Department) should: 
                        
                       Produce an integrated National STEM Education Policy Statement with input from, 
                       and relevance to, all  stakeholders across  the  continuum  of  education  in  Ireland 
                       (primary, secondary and third level). This Policy Statement should include a detailed 
                       implementation plan with responsibilities and timelines clearly outlined. 
                            
              
             The Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton T.D. prioritised 21 of the 47 recommendations from the 
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             STEM report.  At the launch of the report  on 24  November 2017, a commitment was made to implement 
             the  21  prioritised  recommendations.  Subsequently,  the  Department  developed  a  Consultation  Paper, 
             Towards a STEM Education Policy Statement for Schools (Appendix 1) which informed the consultation 
             process.   
             The consultation process focused on the recommendations associated with the six themes that were 
             outlined in the STEM Report.  
                  Theme 1:   Preparation of Teachers for STEM education in Ireland 
                  Theme 2:   Supporting STEM Teachers within the system (with a particular focus on CPD) 
                  Theme 3:   The  introduction  of  new  teaching  and  learning  modalities  that  would  enhance  STEM 
                             education in our schools and for which there is a strong evidence base. 
                  Theme 4:   The use of technology to enhance STEM learning 
                  Theme 5:   The  promotion  of  STEM  careers  and  the  identification  of  methods  to  enhance  the 
                             engagement of students in STEM subjects 
                  Theme 6:   Conclusions and general recommendations proposed in the STEM Report 
              
             The STEM education consultation was facilitated by Dr. Michael Hallissy and John Hurley of H2 Learning3 and 
             they were supported by Cyril Drury who provided analytical assistance on the online survey data. H2 Learning 
             also worked with the Department of Education and Skills on the development of the STEM Education Policy 
             Statement and Implementation Plan.                                    
                                                                        
             1
               STEM Education in the Irish School System Report, https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Education-Reports/STEM-
             Education-in-the-Irish-School-System.pdf 
             2
               Minister Bruton launches the Report of the STEM Education Review Group; www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-
             Releases/2016-Press-Releases/PR2016-11-24.html  
             3
               H2 Learning, www.h2.ie  
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                 The Consultation Process 
                 The consultation process consisted of three distinct elements. These included: 
                      •    School focus group consultations 
                              -  Parents/guardians (parents), young people and teachers at primary and post-primary levels 
                              -  The school consultations commenced with the post-primary schools in May 2017 and with 
                                    primary schools in June 2017. 
                      •    Stakeholder Consultation 
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                              -  Stakeholder consultation event in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin on 23  June 2017. 
                      •    Online Consultation 
                              -  Consultation paper Towards a STEM Education Policy Statement for Schools, published online.  
                              -  Stakeholders and public invited to participate in online survey and to share their views in June 
                                    2017. 
                                     
                                                                                                                                                     
                                                     Figure 2: Participants at the STEM Education Consultation Event 
                  
                 All  three  elements  of  the  public  consultation  phase  focused  on  providing  clarity  around  relevance, 
                 appropriate terminology, implementation issues and suggested areas for further action.  The format and the 
                 structure of each of the three elements was different to reflect the different groupings and settings.  The 
                 consultations were aimed at exploring the following questions: 
                       •    Were the recommendations clearly articulated and if not, how might they be further enhanced? 
                       •    Were the recommendations achievable and who needed to be involved to achieve success? 
                       •    What might success might look like in relation to the recommendations presented and were there 
                            any good examples or models that could inform their implementation? 
                       •    Were there any other areas that should be included in the STEM Education Policy Statement? 
                 The objective was to gather sample views of young people, their parents, as well as those to be involved in 
                 the implementation of the Policy Statement. 
                  
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